LEVEL-5

What LEVEL-5 does

LEVEL-5 (株式会社レベルファイブ) is a Japanese privately held multimedia entertainment company founded in April 1998 by President and CEO Akihiro Hino (日野 晃博), headquartered in Fukuoka City with a secondary office in Tokyo. The company develops and publishes video games and related cross-media content across approximately 10+ active franchises including Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, Yo-kai Watch, Ni no Kuni, Fantasy Life, Megaton Musashi, Snack World, and Decapolice. It employs 101–250 staff and distributes products across all major platforms — Nintendo Switch 2/Switch, PlayStation 5/4, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, iOS, and Android — using a multiformat simultaneous-release strategy.

The company's product technology centers on a proprietary game development engine paired with AI/deep learning pipelines that regenerate polygon character models from legacy titles, enabling the recreation of over 4,500 playable characters in Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. AI-assisted development is publicly cited by the CEO as compressing production timelines from 5–10 years to approximately two years. LEVEL-5 monetizes through multiple revenue streams: one-time licensed console game sales at retail, free-to-play mobile titles with gacha monetization (Yo-kai Watch Punipuni, Inazuma Eleven: Cross), direct-to-consumer merchandise through its LEVEL5 STORE, cross-media IP licensing into anime/manga, and collaborative development with partners such as Aiming, NHN PlayArt, and Netmarble.

The business serves broad consumer gaming audiences — children, teens, young adults, and casual mobile players — across Japan, North America, Europe, China, and Taiwan. Engagement is extended through a Creative Community Club (CCC) ambassador program, the LEVEL5 ID account system, multilingual online events (LEVEL5 VISION), and cross-media synchronization with anime broadcasts (e.g., Inazuma Eleven on TOKYO MX) and manga releases via its Manga5 platform. The company has no disclosed institutional investors or parent and is founder-controlled.

Name

LEVEL-5

Legal name

株式会社レベルファイブ

Website

https://level5.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

LEVEL-5 is a privately held Japanese multimedia entertainment company founded in 1998 in Fukuoka that develops and publishes video games across multiformat platforms, serving global consumer audiences through original IP franchises such as Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, Yo-kai Watch, Ni no Kuni, and Fantasy Life.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Game Development

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Game Distribution Platforms & Storefronts (PC/Mobile/Console) (MPAFABAB)

Keywords

• Video game development
• Cross-platform gaming
• Role-playing games
• Cross-media entertainment
• Puzzle adventure games

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Physical Game Sales: Sale of console game software through retail channels across Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam platforms. Games are sold as one-time purchases at full retail price with DLC expansions.
2. Mobile Free-to-Play Games: Free-to-play mobile titles including Inazuma Eleven: Cross and Yo-kai Watch Punipuni, generating revenue through in-app purchases (gacha/loot boxes) for characters, items, and currency. Item purchases are facilitated through both in-game stores and a dedicated web store.
3. Merchandise and Online Store: LEVEL-5 operates its own online store (LEVEL5 STORE) selling merchandise, apparel, and collectibles tied to its game franchises.
4. Cross-Media IP Licensing: LEVEL-5 develops and licenses its IP across multiple media formats including TV anime, movies, manga, and web services, expanding revenue streams beyond core game sales.
5. Collaborative Development Revenue: Revenue generated through co-development arrangements with partners such as Aiming (Inazuma Eleven: Cross), NHN PlayArt (Yo-kai Watch Punipuni, Puchipoyon), and Netmarble (Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds), with LEVEL-5 serving as original IP holder and co-developer/publisher.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LEVEL-5 is a Japanese video game developer and publisher that creates original IP franchises spanning RPGs, puzzle adventures, soccer RPGs, and slow-life simulation games. The company develops and publishes titles such as the Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, Yo-kai Watch, Ni no Kuni, and Fantasy Life series, releasing them across Nintendo Switch (including Switch 2), PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, iOS, and Android. The company also licenses its IP for anime, manga, and merchandise extensions, and operates a direct-to-consumer online store.

Product overview

Level-5 is a multi-franchise video game developer and publisher with flagship intellectual properties spanning RPGs, puzzle adventures, simulation games, and sports titles. The company's core portfolio includes the Professor Layton mystery puzzle series, the Inazuma Eleven collectible soccer RPG franchise, the Yo-kai Watch monster-collecting RPG series, the Ni no Kuni fantasy RPG series, the Fantasy Life slow-life RPG series, and the Megaton级ムサシ mecha RPG series. Products are developed for and released across multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch (including Switch 2), PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Steam, iOS, and Android, with some titles receiving remastered or expanded editions years after initial release. Level-5 operates cross-media projects that extend beyond games into anime, movies, and manga adaptations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CCC (レベルファイブ クリエイティブ・コミュニティ・クラブ): A community club program where core fans assist with product feedback and word-of-mouth promotion for LEVEL-5 titles, formerly known as the LEVEL-5 Ambassador Program.

Products and services

• Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Collectible training soccer RPG featuring a cross-media project with online multiplayer, tournaments, and Chronicle Mode allowing players to collect over 4,500 characters from the series history. Available on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.
• Inazuma Eleven: Cross Mobile training simulation game with original story and command-based soccer battles, co-developed with Aiming Inc. Free-to-play with in-app gacha purchases. Reached 1 million downloads within one week of launch.
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Everyone's slow-life RPG available on multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, iOS, and Android. Sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.
• Yo-kai Watch Punipuni

Quantifiable outcome

• AI-assisted development can reduce AAA game development timelines from 5-10 years to approximately 2 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aiming Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Aiming Inc. (headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo; President: Shiiba Tadashi) serves as co-developer and operator for Inazuma Eleven: Cross, the mobile entry in the Inazuma Eleven franchise. The partnership enables LEVEL-5 to leverage Aiming's mobile game operational expertise while maintaining creative control over the IP. Inazuma Eleven: Cross reached 1 million downloads within one week of its June 2026 launch.
• NHN PlayArt CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHN PlayArt Corporation (headquartered in Minato, Tokyo) develops and operates Yo-kai Watch Punipuni (which has reached 35 million downloads) and Pufflings: Journey Through a Fantasy World on iOS/Android. LEVEL-5 provides IP and creative direction while NHN PlayArt handles full development and live operations including collaboration events such as the Re:Zero and Hololive crossovers.
• Netmarble CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetmarble (netmarble.com) develops and operates Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, a mobile fantasy RPG. LEVEL-5 serves as original IP creator and creative supervisor, while Netmarble handles full development and global publishing for the mobile title.
• Freestyle WorkminorOthersFreestyle Work is a group company of LEVEL-5 that operates its own independent recruitment page. It appears to be a subsidiary or affiliated studio handling specific game development or creative work, with its own separate hiring operations.
• MAPPA Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAPPA, a renowned animation studio known for high-quality anime productions, is partnered with LEVEL-5 to produce animation sequences for Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. The partnership aims to deliver animation quality above previous Inazuma Eleven entries.

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Square Enix: Japanese mid-to-large publisher and developer of multi-franchise RPGs (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts) across console and mobile. Directly comparable to LEVEL-5 in original-IP-driven console RPG publishing with cross-media exposure.
• Bandai Namco Entertainment: Major Japanese game publisher with multi-platform, multi-franchise strategy spanning console, mobile, and cross-media (anime/game integration). Comparable to LEVEL-5 in operating multiple flagship IP across diverse genres.
• Capcom: Japanese developer/publisher of major console franchises (Monster Hunter, Resident Evil, Street Fighter) with a strong original-IP model. Comparable to LEVEL-5's approach of building durable proprietary IP across decades.
• Game Freak: Mid-sized Japanese studio behind the Pokémon franchise, with long development cycles and Nintendo platform dependence. Comparable to LEVEL-5 in founder-driven creative direction and franchise longevity on Nintendo hardware.
• Koei Tecmo: Japanese game publisher with multi-franchise portfolio (Dynasty Warriors, Atelier, Nioh) across console and mobile. Comparable to LEVEL-5 in operating multiple mid-to-major original IP franchises in parallel.
• Atlus (Sega): Subsidiary studio behind Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, and Metaphor series — multi-platform RPG publisher with strong original IP and anime-style cross-media positioning. Comparable to LEVEL-5's RPG-centric, narrative-driven console strategy.

Emerging players

• Marvelous Inc. Mid-sized Japanese publisher/developer of Story of Seasons, Rune Factory, and Daemon X Machina. Comparable to LEVEL-5 in operating multiple mid-tier original IP franchises across console and mobile with cross-media ambitions.
• Spike Chunsoft: Mid-sized Japanese developer/publisher of Danganronpa, AI: The Somnium Files, and Shiren the Wanderer across console and PC. Comparable to LEVEL-5 in mid-tier, multi-platform original-IP portfolio with a creative/narrative focus.

Others

• Netmarble: Korean mobile game publisher and LEVEL-5's partner for Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds. Comparable as a strategic mobile publishing counterpart in cross-licensed Japanese IP mobile games, but operating at a significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Cygames: Japan's leading mobile-first F2P game developer (Granblue Fantasy, Uma Musume, Princess Connect) with console crossover titles. Comparable to LEVEL-5's mobile F2P/gacha strategy for Inazuma Eleven and Yo-kai Watch, but at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LEVEL5_times
• YouTubeyoutube.com/LEVEL5ch
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LEVEL-5